Court Strikes Out N36bn Fraud Case against ex-Jigawa Gov

A Federal High Court sitting in Dutse, Jigawa yesterday  struck out a N36 billion corruption case against the former governor of Jigawa, Alhaji Saminu Turaki.

Delivering a ruling, Justice Hassan Dikko, struck out the case for want in diligent prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Dikko also discharged  Turaki and ordered the EFCC to do the needful when they are ready to proceed with the case.

Earlier, the Defence Counsel, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, pleaded with the court to strike out the case against the first defendant for lack of diligent prosecution. Aondoakaa argued that the case was slated for hearing  and neither the prosecution counsel nor witnesses were in the court.

He explained that yesterday’s sitting was the sixth adjournment since the case was brought before the High Court in Dutse.

He said there was no reason given by the prosecution for non-appearance. The defence counsel, pleaded with the court to strike out the charge.

Turaki, who served as Jigawa governor between 1999 and 2007, was first arraigned by the EFCC before Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 13, 2007, on a 32-count charge of alleged misappropriation of N36 billion while in office.

In 2011, the case was transferred to the Federal High Court, Dutse after he successfully challenged the territorial jurisdiction of the Federal High Court in Abuja to hear the case.

He was subsequently re-arraigned on the same 32-count charge at the Dutse Division of the Federal High Court.